Costa Rican Mountain, Beach & River Adventure

$2,060 – $2,285

Enjoy the best of Costa Rica’s abundant adventures: Raft the Pacuare River, mountain bike from the continental divide to the beach at Manuel Antonio, and sea kayak in the Golfo Dulce along the Osa Peninsula.

The Costa Rican Mountain, Beach & River Adventure brings together active adventures with off-the-beaten-path exploration for one of the best adventures in Central America. You’ll be traveling by whitewater raft, sea kayak, and mountain bike through remote cloudforest, beaches, mountains, and rainforests. This adventure is designed for people who like to sweat it out during the day, reach pristine, out-of-the-way destinations, and enjoy kicking back at a beach camp to watch the sunset.

TRIP DESCRIPTION

Costa Rica is famous for its bio-diverse rainforests, abundant beaches, and rushing rivers which are abundant throughout the country. But most tourists only flock to a few popular destinations, leaving many of the most stunning places undeveloped and completely uncrowded. For those who crave some thrills and aren’t afraid of a little hard work, this is exactly where you want to go to experience Costa Rica beyond the brochures.

With your adventure guide and small group of like-minded travelers, you’ll be discovering some of the most undisturbed ecosystems in Central America, visiting small mountain villages, and embarking on a different action-packed tour each day. At night you’ll be relaxing at a riverside camp, beach bungalow, or simple mountain lodge listening to the ocean or to frogs chirping in the forest. Altogether, it’s about as far from the all-inclusive golf resorts as one can get.

The adventure starts with Class III – IV whitewater rafting down the pristine Pacuare River, where you’ll be paddling to the (otherwise unreachable) a riverside camp 27 km downstream. You will be traveling through abundant cloudforest in the foothills of volcanoes, stopping to hike to waterfalls and learning about this important protected forest. Then it’s time to test your mountain biking skills, cruising down from Costa Rica’s continental divide into a small, coffee-growing community nestled amongst green hills. You continue down from the mountains on bike to the Pacific Coast where you can enjoy the lively beaches of Manuel Antonio and a bit of nightlife before returning to the backcountry.

You’ll be thankful for a day relaxing at the beach before your thee-day excursion sea kayaking along the Osa Peninsula in the Golfo Dolce and exploring its various inlets. This souther-most gulf is one of the least visited by tourists, which means you’ll get golden beaches, dense rainforests, and snorkeling opportunities almost to yourself.

LOCAL PROVIDER: COAST TO COAST ADVENTURES

Coast to Coast Adventures designs ethical and sustainable multi-activity adventures throughout Central America. The small, dedicated team of Costa Ricans holds a strong focus on creating lifetime memories for its clients while providing high-quality service and maintaining the highest possible standards of safety for its clients and in training for its guides.

A Coast to Coast Adventures representative will welcome you at the airport and take you to your hotel. The representative will go over your trip and answer any questions you may have. Evening free to explore San Jose.

DAY 2: Pacuare River (Rafting)

This morning, you will be picked up after breakfast to begin the trip with a scenic drive along the foothills of the Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes to the “put in” on the Pacuare River. You will run a total of 27 kilometers of Class III-IV rapids while exploring this magnificent river valley. This afternoon you arrive at your comfortable riverside camp, “El Nido del Tigre,” nestled between the sounds of the rainforest and the hum of the river. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 3: Pacuare River (Rafting)

Today the Pacuare takes you through virgin rainforest, cascading waterfalls and river carved canyons. Along the way you take time out to do a side hike to some waterfalls and have lunch on the shore. We take out in the heart of banana plantation country at Finca Pacuarito, where we camp for the night. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 4: Santa Maria de Dota (Mountain Biking)

You are driven up to Cerro de la Muerte at an altitude of 2330 meters, high on the Continental Divide. A 20-kilometer section of mountain biking, mostly downhill on dirt roads, takes you to the coffee growing community of Santa Maria de Dota. You spend the night in family run cabins just outside of town. An evening walk for some local color is a must with time to reflect on the day’s adventure. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 5: Pacific Slopes to Manuel Antonio (Mountain Biking)

Your second day of mountain biking (60km) takes you through the sparsely populated and incredibly scenic Pacific slopes. Your adventure is a raucous and exhilarating downhill ride to the coastal plain, through a remote area of thick forest and isolated farms. Once out of the hills, you cross the river at Paso Real and push on biking all the way to the white sand beaches of Manuel Antonio. You arrive in time for a well-deserved dunking in the hotel pool or a plunge in the surf at the local beach. (Breakfast, Lunch)

DAY 6: Manuel Antonio (Free Day)

Free day on your own. The area is very established and offers a great variety of restaurants, bars, and activities. Optional activities include: zip lining, horseback riding on the beach, guided hikes in the park, scuba diving, snorkeling, ocean fishing, sea kayaking, kayaking in Isla Damas Mangrove, exploring the area on rental scooters, surfing lessons, body surfing, boogie boarding, or just relaxing on the beach. (Breakfast)

DAY 7: Golfo Dulce & Osa Península (Sea Kayaking)

This morning you continue south by van along the Pacific coast to your sea kayaking put-in, Rincon de la Osa, located on the banks of the Golfo Dulce, Osa Peninsula. The reflection of the rainforest meeting the calm waters of the gulf is a perfect setting of our 15 km sea kayak along this beautiful coastline. We reach our camp in the late afternoon. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

DAY 8: Golfo Dulce & Osa Península (Sea Kayaking)

Back on the water! An hour into the paddle you reach the mouth of the Esquinas River, where you head up stream to explore this wildlife rich estuary. There is an opportunity to set up ropes for an assisted climb up one of the coconut palms and to snorkel a reef in front of the beach before getting back in the kayaks and making for your camp for the night. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

An early morning departure allows for a spectacular and relaxing paddle along the lush coastline to the port town of Golfito. The 16 km paddle takes around 3 to 4 hours with several stops for pictures and snacks. We arrive in Golfito by mid-morning and drive back to San Jose. The evening may be spent taking in the sites and sounds of San Jose. (Breakfast). Note: a local flight from Golfito to San Jose is also an option for an additional charge.

DAY 10: Departure

A Coast to Coast Adventures representative will drive you to the airport for your return flight home. (Breakfast)

travel logistics

Getting To and From the Trip:

You will need international flights to and from San Jose, Costa Rica. These flights can be booked on your own or with our travel partner Exito.

Trip Start: You will be picked up from the San Jose Airport upon your arrival.

Trip End: You will be dropped off at the San Jose Airport in time for your international departure.

Complete Your Trip

This is a complete package for Costa Rica, but if you want to spend time relaxing on the beach, exploring Arenal or any other part of the country before or after your trip, we can help you add this on.

Prices & Dates

2018 PRICES:

Prices are per person and based on double occupancy of rooms and tents.

Meals not indicated
International flights (can be booked on your own or with our travel partner Exito)
Personal or medical expenses
Alcoholic beverages
Tips and gratuities
International departure tax ($29.00* per person)
Trip insurance

Accommodations

El Nido del Tigre River Camp tentsEl Nido de Tigre River Camp common area

Sustainability is a key word at El Nido del Tigre as we strive to achieve the perfect harmony between rainforest and tourism. The camp has captured the imagination of the local people, many of whom we thank for their assistance and patience in building this unusual environment and a number of them who remain with us on our continuing journey to develop the dream. Spacious tents on fixed platforms co-mingle with the forest and border the river. Our team love to welcome clients — a stay at El Nido del Tigre promises a unique experience — so come and join us!

As the Pacuare River levels and the rapids give way to the gentle current of the beckoning Caribbean Ocean, Finca Pacuarito sits on the side of the river nestled amongst banana plantations. Another of Coast to Coast’s dreams was realized in 2005 when searching for an ideal location we happened upon a very overgrown un-used stretch of land and had the vision to form our second camp. Some 20 local laborers assisted in clearing the land, planting the gardens and building a home for Francisco and his family who joined our team to look after our clients and make sure the camp is always presented at its best.